Joint Turkish-Russian patrols were completed in the province of Idlib as part of a recent cease-fire deal between the two guarantor countries working toward maintaining peace in the key border region, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

Following the initial reports on the joint patrol, the Turkish Defense Ministry released a statement, stating that the patrol was successfully completed.

The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement shortly afterward, claiming that the joint patrols were interrupted due to provocations.

Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in Syria’s war, agreed on March 5 to halt military activity in the northwestern Idlib region after an escalation of violence displaced nearly a million people and brought the two sides close to confrontation. The deal addresses Turkey’s main concerns, stopping a flow of refugees and preventing the deaths of more Turkish soldiers on the ground. As part of the agreement, Turkish and Russian forces will carry out joint patrols along the M4 highway linking Syria’s east and west, and establish a security corridor on either side of it.